LYC: My parents now have an empty nest after 35 years.
Posted by
Tim (aka othertim)
Nov 15 '09, 16:57
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My older brother has autism and has been living with them his whole life. He can do some menial tasks, he would help set the dinner table, empty the dishwaster, bring the garbage cans into the garage on trash day, etc. But he needs help picking out his clothes to wear and fixing something to eat other than a bowl of cereal or frozen waffles. You can have a basic conversation with him ("Mike, where's dad?" "He went to umpire.") but don't ask for his opinion on health care reform. He likes to watch the Game Show Network and is able to do 300 piece jigsaw puzzles.
My parents are now in their early 60's so last year they began looking for a group home to place him for when they're unable to take care of him. A spot in a place they liked opened up recently and he began spending the night there a few times until a couple weeks ago when he was picked up at my parents house in the morning on his way to the facility he spends weekdays at and he was brought back to the group home in the afternoon for good. My parents visit him on occasion and he seemed happy there so it's working out.
With me not living there much in the last decade, my younger brother finally going away to school two years ago and now this...after 35 years my parents have an empty nest. I had dinner at their house tonight and it was just them and me. That had never happened before.
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